Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-04-08
&'a5Ainotun StanlAra
BOTTLES BABY.
CHAPTER ".

BOTTLES BABY.
CHAPTER ".
1t was not to he expected, and Bottles did
not expect it that the story o. TIC mystcri-
Gus little stranger could be confined to the
barracks. In fac, III the cour5e of q few
hours it had flown oil over The Town, gain.
ing additions and alteration, by the fire.
quency OF its repetition, until at last 3 otlcs
himself could hardly recognize il. A baby
had been found in Capt. Ferrers' room !;
70 one knew where it came from nor to
whom it belonged. 1hen-Clp:. FeIrers
bad rescued young baby from a brutal
father who was going to dish its brains out
against the door-pDs.. The1-Capt Fer
rcri had picked UP born infant VIII lie
hunting With the dukes hounds Then-
Cups. Ferrors was suffering from mental
alteration, or, to speak plainly, was getting
. bit cracked. and had adopted a chill a
year old out Of Idlemiustec workhouse
Then-it was really most romantic bl.
Capt. Ferrers had been engaged to and
Tilted by a young lady long ago-whilh, If
course, accounted for his being impervious
to the destinations Of the Idlemins,er girls
who had married, been deserted Ly Ter
husband, and now died-some versions of
the story said committed suicide"-lcaving
him the charge Of a baby, etc.
Some people told one version of the story
and some people told another, but nobody
llamed BOTTLES very much. 1t might he
because he was SO rich and So handsome and
pleasant; it might be because Idleminster
society was free from that leaven of cen-
seriousness which causes most people to look
at most things from The worst possible
view.
But Bottles went on his serene way, tell
ing the true state Of the case to every one
who mentioned the affair to him, AMI al
ways ending, 'And hang it, you know, it's
pretty little beggar, and I couldn't send it
A.. to the workhouse."
He made no secret about it at all, and on
the Saturday following the advent Of tie
Child an advertisement appeared in Tie
1dlemlnster Chronicle which made ldle-
minister tongues clack for week:
WANTED, Immediately, highly respect
able and thoroughly experienced nurse Of
middle age, to take the entire charge of q
child about year old. Good wages to a
suitable person. Apply to Capt. Ferrers,
Scarlet Lancers."
In due time this advertisement produced
the right sort Of person. and staid and re-
spectacle widow Of about fifty was soon in
stalled in q room next to Mr.: Gray's quar-.
ters, in charge Of Miss Mgnon. as the Child
bad already come to be called by everybody.
1t was . charming child-strong and
healthy, seemed to have NO trouble with
temper or teeth, hardly ever cried, and
might b ssen morning and afternoon being
whselea By ~ nurs N . bapy.carrlage
at,%sxk Tia hapx~<A ~
outside tho Broad Arrow boundaries And
/ -, u the weeln rolled by and wore into
months, It began to toddle about, and could
ny "Bootles" a. plain - . pike-staf
In April the Scarlet Lancers were moved
from Mleminster to Blankhampton, where
Bottles had to undergo new experience, for
every one there took him for . widower on
account Of the child.
Boobies would explain. 'sTake her about
with met Yes; she likes Il. Always wants
ia go when she sees tho trap. A botheri
Not bit Of it; the jolliest little woman in
creation, and as good g gold. What am I
going to do with her when she grows upi
We'll, Lacy Gays he II going to marry her.
II he don't somebody else wnl-no fear"
Taking it Ill round, Min Nignon had 10
0arkably gooa time Of It, and seemed thor
oughly to appre ciate the pleasant places IN
wnlcn ner unes La fallen. IL wa wonder
ful, too. what an immense favorite she was
with ''the fellows" At first she had been
"Bootles' brat" but very soon that was
dropped, and by the time she could toddle,
which shs did IN very good time, no one
thought Of mentioning hAr or Of Snas.kina To
Eer except as "Miis Mgnon." Scarcely any
Of the o0lcsgs dreamed Tor moment Of re-
turning after . few day5 leave without
taking along, - tho Americans say, . box
ofswests or bundle Of toys for Miss Mig
non. Indeed, tho young lady came to have
such . collection that, after q whilA Mrs.
Nurses patient soul arose, and, with Capt.
Ferrer1 permission, all the discarded ones
were distributed among the les fortunate
children Of the regiment
But Min Hignon's favorits plaything WAS
Boobies himself-after Boobies, Lacy. People
aaad Il wa wonderful, the depth Of the
affection between tho big soldier Of IS and
the ittls dot Of chill, scarcely q Boobies
she adored, and whsre Bottles was Ghe would
ba BY hook or BY crook she could convoy
hor small person into his pressnce Oncs
ahe spisd him turn In at tho gates ON the
right hand Of ths colonel, when the regiment
Was returning from field day, and escaping
frum her nurse's hand set Oh q hard as she
could run IN tho direction OF the band. which
Immediately preceded the commanding OH
Ger. 4rA Nurse gave chase, but alasl Nrz
Nurse was Stout and bad the Ill luck, moro
over, to come cropper over . drain tile
lying conveniently IN hsr way, while tho
child, unconscious ol danger, ran straighs
Tor BootleA Neither Boobies nor Lacy, who
was on the colonel's left, perceived her until
she was Close upon them, waving her small
hands and shouting, in her shriu and Joyous
child's voice, s'Bootlesi B0otlesI''
Il seemed to Boobies, - 10 looked past tho
colonel, that tho child was almost under the
: boots Of LAcy's charger. ''LAcyr' be called
out-"LAcyr' But Lacy was already ON
the ground, and caught Miss Mignon out Of
harms way; but when he turned round b
saw that his friends facs YVES - white a.
chalk.
A. for .tlD colonel, when b saw Mrs
Nurse gathering herself up with rueful looks
at the drain tile, be simply roared, and Miss
4ignon chimed IN - II Il were the finest
Joke in the world
That soas q smash, she remarked, from
her pgoud position on Lacy's shoulder, '.just
like Humpty Dumpty"-a comment which
gave that estimable person the name Of
Mrs. Humpty Dumpty - long - she re-
manned with the regiment
a low W0oO o1Uef t01o G00 annual m1pocr
ton came 81, and Miss Hignon, resentinr
the lengthened ahsence of her Boobies, again
managed to escape from her nurse, and
battered boldly, - fast - her small feet
would carry her, right into the mess-room,
where Boobies was sitting, just opposite the
general, at the late lunch. Miss Mignou,
not seeing him at first, wandered coolly BE-
hind the row Of scarlet-clad backs, until she
pied him ct The other side Of the table.
Thsn, having no awe whatsoever Of inspecting
oh1css, shs wedged herself IN between his
chair and the colonel's with . triumphant
and Joyous laugh.
Ths general gave . great start, and the
colonel laughed Boobies, in dimay, jumped
up and came quickly round ths table 70
take her away.
well, you little rogue" said the colonel,
reaching nectarine for her. 'sWhat do
you wantf"
II wanted BOTTLES, sir, }" said Nis Mignon,
conhdeutially. "And nurse failed asleep. 20
looked French leave" Almost the only
peculiarly in her speech was the habit Of
making al verbs regular.
"And who arc you. my little maidr tho
general asked, in extreme amusement.
'%Oh, Tn MiD Iianon," with di9nity.